Sheet-adjusting device for mechanical musical instruments.



V J. A.;WBSER. SHEET ADJUSTING DEVICE r011 mmmu MUSICAL mswnuunn'rs.APPLIOATIO! FILED DBO. 31,1909.

1,010,552. Patented Dec.5,1911,

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UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN A. WESER, onmiw YORK, N, Y.

SHEET-ADJUSTING nnvxcn Ion MECHANICAL MUSICAVL' msrrnU EnrsJ-f To allwhom it ma concern: Be it known that I, Joim A. 'Esrm, a citizenofitl'i'l nited States, residing in the borough "of; Manhattan, city,county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sheet-Adjusting Devices for .Mechanic'al Musical In:struments, &c., of which thef-followin is a specification, referencebeing had to t e accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

T llS invention has for its ob ect to provide improved devices forinsuring the proper lateral positioning of a traveling web or sheet,such as the perforated music v sheet of a mechanical piano, so that itshall register accurately with the cooperating devices, such as theholes in the tracker-board. In another application for Letters Patent ofthe l'nitcd States, Serial No.5519,9l6, filed September 28, 1909, thereare shown and described devices intended toaccomplish the generalpurpose above stated, suchdevices comprising a floating detector whichis moved readily by contact with the edge of the webor sheet, offeringpractically no resistance, such detector, by. its movements,inaugurating the operation of the device by which the web or sheet isshifted, while the detector is not positively ormechanically connectedtherewith. In oi1c form of the device shown in said application, thedetector operates valves, one at each end, which, through suitablepneumatic connections,control theoperation of thesheet shiftingdevices,which are themselves pneumatic. In another and ditl'crcnt specificembodiment of the floating detector shown in said application, thelnovcment of the detector controls an electric circuit or electric--ci1'cltits by which the operation of the sheet shifting de-' vice iscontrolled. It is with this latter embodiment of the floating detectorthat the present invention is particularly concerned and the presentappli'cation'is in eli'cc't'a di vision of "said earlierapplication,although the illustration of theembodiment of the l'h vention issomewhat'aiitplitiedjand ditt'tfrent forn'isjthereof are.illt'i'strated. The invention will he moreparticularly enplained hereihafter with reference to "the accompanymg drawing n wlnch'1t"1sillustrated andfln' Figure 1 1' is a vie'w infront elevation of somuch'of amechanical playeras is necessarytoillustratethealiplicatioirof' the inven- Spectflcation of Letters Patent.Application filed December 31, 1909. 8erie1 1! o.-55,7 49.

lar. view showing amodification'.

=11 aria I r ,patea eajiieci'fi; tion, the electrical connections beingsented (diagrammatically .Fig. 2 i

In the embodiment oftheeinventi n illus- I. w, trated 1n the drawingsthe, nni-sic sheet a iseo carried, as usual, by two spools or rolls .b b

one of which is driven by :anysuitablef means through a shaft-c. vThespool. Z) has a,lin1---' ited capacity for longitudinal nrovemnt- 1inthesupporting frameworlcd,the other spool, .65 I) being usually formedwithout-heads so. that lateral movement of the web or sheet; a withrespectthercto is not restrained. j I

In the construction shownin Fig. l...a cir cumferentially rooved hub- 0connected .to' the spool 11,. so t at the two move longitudinally androtate together, is engagedby'an arm f on a longitudinally movablezrod1" supported in the framework d.parallelwitlr. H the axis of the Spool1). Through a 'block 'adjustably secured on the rod fand a link, 1',

' and '2", the saidmovable members beingcon 180 nected by a link i,'sothat theco llapsing, partial collapsing, of one bellows or. the otherwill move the rodflfand therefore'thei spool 'b. in one directionorit'heother f'lflie two bellows 1' and i'are carried byajbox 01185 frame gwhich support sjthe "respective piiem matic controlling devices ualha-racte *lv for the bellows 1' andji and the'boxf o'rj frame 9 isadjustable laterally"withfrespect to the frame I. being preferably earnl'by a bar g. threaded at its end and enraged by an adjusting nutyji-ino iitedj t weenl',

stops 4 on the frame (1." fl-he bar" 1/ pick erably is provided with an.iii dicat'oif {/f'so that. by reference to a central niarli I? or V theframe J.th bellow sz'ainl e" and.j'thro ghj. the link f, the rod f, andthe sptiolli. in. accurately adjusted in position. A finger 5 projectsdou'nwardlv from theib orfraine g between two rather widel'y spd c ll j"mtthe barf f str'ais. to limit the iltlt itiel e theliai' f andthei'efore'of the-spot) I d respect to the 1m or franie'g and the bellowFor thepurpo'se of central ning the s Z), after-"longitudinal movementin" either-d1 rection', a flat spring k.'*secure'd to the franlfe work""(1, is arranged-* to bear "(bein fot'lced for the purpose)against theouterjend' ofa Y longitudinally n'iovable'socket-l) which is1-10 mountedm the frame d and furnishes a h and b" I left threaded at for thecorresponding end of the the said socket also receiving, in

bearing spool its outer" end, with capacity for relative longitudinalmovement a rod 5, which is connected with the rod j by an arm I while aspiral spring I), supported by the stem b;

etb at one end as an other end, through upon the rod f. The two springsbears against the soc abutment and acts, at the the arm f the spool 12and tend to centralize it when it position in either direction.

The floating detector, in the constructionshown, in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2as well, con-- sists of a light rod p mounted for freemovement lon'tudinally 'inthe framework d and having rs p for cooperation with theed es of e web orsheet respectively, the p being freely rotatable andright and its ends to en gers and provided with a mill that by rotationof the rod the-fingers p may be spaced apart with accurac to accommodatethe. web or sheet'a wit out affecting the operation of the automatic ad-'usting device. The rod p freely sup 'rted y the frame but otherwisemechanica ly unconnected with the operating mechanism is connectedelectrically, as through a battery 1 and an automatic switch r, to acommon point between two magnets a and a. One of such magnets isconnected electrically with an adjustable s ring contact a in line 'withthe rod p an adjacent to one end a and s which normally close theterminal portsof pneumatic tubes 8' and a connected respectively withthe bellows valves or pneumatics n and a.

" It will .now be seen that if the web or sheet a shifts out ofposition. toward the left it will close the circuit of the magnet 5through the contact 8 and that the magnet will open the valve 8,thereby, through the corresponding valve n, causing the bellows 1' to'becollapsed. Through the connection of the movable members of 'the twobellows (both bellows being capable of further exansion beyond thedegree indicated in the rawing) the rod f wi 1 be shifted slightl to theright, carrying with it the spool Similarly, if the bellows i will becollapsed and the spool b I will be moved slightly to the left. Theexcessive movement of the spool b to the left is checked by the bearingof the socket 5 against the spring h and excessive movement of the spoolto the right is checked by therefore act in opposition upon e the fin--ead p so the bearin of an arin i,.on the movable member 0 the bellows iinst the other side of the spring h. It wi be understood, ofcourse,*that the valves n and n are con nected with the vacuum system ofthe pneumatic player through a tube n in the usual mamzgr. Wh en ftbs;1instr' ument is n2:i in use, ecircuito ebattey iso n atthe automaticswitch r, one mehi ber of which is carried by the movable member of abellows r. As soon, however, as vacuum ressure is created the bellows ris cola and the switch r is closed.

t is obviously immaterial whether the music sheet be shifted withrespect to a stationary tracker-board as shown in F i 1, or thetracker-board itself be shifted with respect to the music sheet as shownin Fig. 2., In this embodimentof the invention the bellows i i, the Inets a a, valves 3 a, valves 1: n and floating detector rod p with theirseveral connectio are arranged and ?erate as already dascri ig. 1, butthe arm i of the bellows i connected by a link t with alongitudinallymovable tracker-board t, which maybe arranged-in an usual or suitablemanner, such longitudinal y movable tracker-boards being well known inthe art. Any accidental shiftin of the music sheeta will therefore,

a correspondin shifting ,of the trackerboard so that t e relativeposition of the music sheet and tracker-board are unchanged and theproper re istration of the music sheet with the trac er-board isassured.

Each contact a a is so constructed as to provide for great accuracy inadjustment and at the .same time to permit the detector to yield slightlafter contact is made, so

torn, even when .movin 'rapidlv, as in rewinding, in case the action ofthe sheet-adjusting mechanism is somewhat sluggish. For this purpose thesupporting and adjusting spring .6, a, which is secured to the frame dand is provided with a bindingpost at one end and at the other bearsagainst the adjusting nut a. has on its inner face, adjacent to the endof the detector. an elastic, flat sprin s' which yields readily when theend of the detector presses against it, thus rmitting the detector toyield further, i necessary, after the circuit is completed.

. I claim as my invention:

1. In a sheet 'ad'usting mechanism, the combination of a eatingdetector, freely supported but otherwise mechanically unconnected withthe mechanism and movable freely in either direction with variations inthe lateral position of the sheet, op itely acting pneumatic sheetadjusting devices and corresponding electrical devices forcontrolthrougthe described connections, produce that the edge 0 the web or sheet willnot be vicesrespectively, the action of one or the other of saidelectrical-devices being determined by the movement of the detector inone direction or the other.

2. In a sheet ad'usting mechanism, the combination of an outingdetector, freely supported but otherwise mechanically unconnected withthe mechanism andmovable freely in either direction with variations inthe lateral position of the sheet, oppositely acting pneumatic sheetadjusting devices, correspondin valves for controlling the operation oftie sheet adjusting devices respectively and corresponding.electro-magnetic devices for controlling said valves respectively, theaction of one or the other of said electro-magnetic devices beingdeter-- mined by the movement of the detector in one direction or theother. a

3. In a sheet adjusting mechanism, the combination of a floatingdetector, freely supported but otherwise mechanically unconnected withthe mechanism and movable freely in either direction with variations inthelateral position of the sheet, oppositely acting bellows andconnections fon adjusting the lateral position of the sheet, and.corresponding bellows valves, valves for con-- trolling s aidbellowsvalves respectively and electro-nia neticdevices for controlling saidlast name valvesfthe action of one or the other of said electro-magneticdevices being determined by the movement of the detector in onedirection or the other.

4. In a sheet adjusting mechanism, ,the combination, of a floatingdetector, freely supported but otherwise mechanically unconnected withthe mechanism and movable freely in either direction with variations inthe lateral position of the \sheet, a spool movable longitudinally toshift the sheet, oppositely acting bellows and connections to shift thespool with their corresponding controlling valves, valves to controlsaid bellows valves respectively and correspondin electro-magneticdevices for controllin sai last named valves res ectively, the action ofone or the other of said electro-magnetic devices being determined bythe movement of the detector in one direction or the other.

5. In a sheet adjusting mechanism, the combination of a floatingdetector, subject to variations in the lateral position of the sheet,comprising afreely movable rod supported ad acent to the sheet andfingers to coiiperate with the edge of the sheet, oppositely actingsheet adjusting devices and corresponding electro-ma netic devices forcontrollin the action of the sheet adjustin devices, the action of oneor the other'o said electro-magnetic devices being deter-- mined by themovement of the detector in one direction or the other.

6. In a sheet adjusting mechanism, the combination of a floatingdetector, subject to variations in the lateral position of the sheet,comprising a freely movable rod supported adjacent to the .sheet andfingers to coo crate with .the edges of the sheet, opposite y actingsheet shifting bellows with their corresponding control ing valves,corresponding valves to control the bellows valves respectively andelectromagnetic devices for controlling said last named valvesrespectively, the action ofone or the other of said electro-magneticdevices being determined by the movement of the detector in onedirection or the other.

7 In a sheet adjusting mechanism for mechanical musical instruments, thecombination of a tracker-board and a music sheet spool, the saidtracker-board and spool being relatively movable longitudinall the onewith respect to the other, opposite y acting pneumatic devices forshifting the movab e part with respect to the other, a floating detectorfreely supported but otherwise mechanically unconnected with themechanism and movable freelyin either direction with variations in thelateral position of the sheet and electro-magnetic devices, forcontrolling the operation of the pneumatic devices, respectively, theaction of one or the other of said 'electr'o-magnetic devices beingdetermined by the movement of the detector in one direction or theother.

8. In a sheet adjusting mechanism for mechanical musical instruments,the combination of a tracker-board and a music sheet spool, the saidtracker-board andlspool ing relatively movable longitudinal] ,the onewith respect to the other, opposite y acting bellows for shifting themovable part with respect to the other with their corre-' spondingvalves, corresponding valves to JOHN A. EsER- Signed-in the resenee of,-

'- Comma ARRIB, Max Lavmn.

